Henry Vanderspek
Photo: Culture Snap Photography
I first met Toronto photographer Henry Vanderspek (Culture Snap Photography) at the Riverdale Art Walk about a month ago. That day, we talked a little bit about his work, and his upcoming trip to Uganda as part of Photographers Without Borders.
His work and upcoming assignment piqued my interest, thus, I decided to follow up and find out more. Henry Vanderspek is a stay-at-home parent. He is now studying at Ryerson University‘s School of Image Arts in order to further his skills, and become a documentary photographer. Vanderspek has been interested in photography for some time now. His interest in seeing the ways people live, as well as, capturing various cultural artefacts are more than enough reasons to further his education and career in photography.
Interestingly, Vanderspek spent eight years working at World Vision Canada helping to organise its Youth Ambassador Program. During his time there, he was able to visit Uganda and work with youth from different African countries alongside Canadian youth. His work there gave him great exposure to East African countries, and it was a perfect fit for his Photographers Without Borders assignment. The purpose of this assignment is to document the work of the Ugandan non-profit Raising Voices.
Raising Voices is a Ugandan NGO that is dedicated to the elimination of violence against women and children. Vanderspek’s assignment will be to document their Good School program. The program incorporates a toolkit which helps educators and students “explore what makes a healthy, vibrant, and positive school and guide them through a process to create their vision”. You can read more about Raising Voices and the Good School Toolkit here. Essentially, Vanderspek will be on site to take photos of the students, teachers, and the communities where this program is currently being used.
Sounds like a worthwhile effort, right? Well, this is where you and I come into the picture, so to speak. Henry Vanderspek’s assignment is not fully funded, and he is responsible for covering most of the costs for this trip and assignment. He is now running a funding campaign, where those who are able to, can donate towards his trip. For those who donate, there are obvious perks besides the feel good part of giving. Some of the perks include digital downloads, greeting cards, custom framed prints and more! You can read more about the campaign and Vanderspek’s assignment here, and you can donate via that link as well.
Thus far, Vanderspek has about a third to go. We may not always be able to help all those involved with Raising Voices directly, but we can help a local photographer document how this program is helping its immediate communities. I will also be making my contribution… If you’re able to assist in the campaign, the last date to donate is next Friday, July 12th. But helping to spread the word about it and Raising Voices is also very helpful.
Via Hye’s Musings